


This is the End

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel, X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, F/M, Interquel, Korean Characters, Logan Needs A Hug, Luna is a Mutant, Marvel Cameos, Mom Friend Jean Grey, Mutant Powers, Mutants, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, POV Original Character, Poor Charles, Post-X-Men: Days of Future Past, Pre-Logan, Seizures, Westchester Incident
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-31 01:50:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13964772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It is the year 2026. After her mutant abilities are awakened, Bethanie Park immediately goes to Xavier's school, seeking guidance. Having been born in South Korea, she was not exposed to the genetic treatment (or so the conspiracy went) that had nearly eradicated the mutant gene in America. She quickly settles into the life and routine of Xavier's academy, which is mostly composed of foreign exchange students now. She meets new friends and teachers, and is thrilled to finally have the chance to engage in regular teenage life ... or the mutant equivalent.But not all is well within the ailing mind of Charles Xavier. As his brain deteriorates, he lashes out with his telepathy, hurting hundreds and killing several. Bethanie and her friends struggle to cope with the losses and trauma. It becomes a fight for survival when the staff vanishes, leaving the young mutants to their own devices. The FBI provides little relief, and is rendered powerless once a gang of robot-armed "reavers" show up, determined to kidnap the mutants to a facility in upstate New York...This fanfiction is a prelude to Logan, and deals with the "Westchester Incident" from the prospective of the students.





	This is the End

"Deep breaths."

That was what Bethanie's mother, Sarah, kept telling her, as they made the hour-long commute from Western Nassau to Westchester, where the school was located. They had finally gotten past the abysmally awful congestion that was New York City, and now they were navigating a peaceful suburban neighborhood, one that was evidently wealthy. The lawns, vast and rolling, were dotted with shrubbery and gorgeous flowers, lurid in the midsummer sunshine. 

Bethanie tried to inhale and exhale in a calm, systematic matter, but found that her breaths still came rapid and tight. Her hands shook, and one foot was restlessly tapping the floor of the car, trying to make use of the adrenaline flowing through her veins. She thought of what had happened three days ago, how she'd gotten into a fight with her sister, Jayla, and lost her temper, inadvertently causing the items in the room to begin to zip through the air. That was when she'd figured it out; she was a mutant. 

A mutant. 

Of all things. 

There were so few mutants left in America now. Although no one knew why, conspiracy theories floated around, ranging from sensible to ridiculous. What was even more troubling was that the mutant population throughout the rest of the world had continued to grow, following the pattern set up in the twentieth century. Bethanie didn't know what to make of it. 

After her meltdown, Bethanie had fallen to her knees, crying her eyes out. She'd wept as her mother and sister talked quietly in the background, not even reacting to Jaylee's revelation that she, too, was a closeted mutant, and she'd numbly agreed to their suggestion of mutant schooling. So now here they were. 

Bethanie wasn't quite sure what her powers were, exactly. They looked like telekinesis, but felt like something completely different. She'd brought up this point earlier in the car ride, but her mother had only looked at her skeptically. "How would you know the difference, Baek-Hee?" she'd murmured in Korean, using Bethanie's real name. She'd opened and closed her mouth, unable to find an answer. And yet, Bethanie was absolutely positive that there was more to it than that. She could feel more power beyond her own mind, brushing the edges of her fingertips. Present, but untouchable. Within time, she would be able to access it. Hopefully.

The second time she'd tried to access her power (consciously), she had found it much more challenging to even move a single, fist-sized rock. She needed education. And so did her sister.

She looked at her older sister. She had an angular face, daintily pale skin, and lush brown eyes. Her hair fell in sleek curls to her shoulders. Whatever genetic lottery had bestowed these gifts on Jayla had skipped over Bethanie, who had a more olive skin tone, a rounder face, and unremarkably average looks. 

Both sisters had mutant powers, however. Jayla refused to provide a demonstration, but she claimed that she could shoot energy blasts from her hands, like concentrated beams of starlight.

"Remember that fire we had, a few years back, the one that nearly burned the house down?" she'd asked in an almost sheepish matter. "Yeah. That's what happens when I play around."

Now Bethanie reflected on this, twirling a strand of raven hair around her index finger. Drained, she leaned against the leather white car seat with an exhausted sigh. The car hummed and thrummed under her legs, and she hugged her stomach, feeling nauseous. 

“Jae-Lin,” her mother said, addressing her sister. 

Jayla raised her head from where it rested on her palm. “ _Ne?_ ” For a moment, Bethanie could swear that her sister’s eyes had flashed red. Her heart thrummed uneasily.

“Take care of your sister,” their mother instructed, suddenly looking on the verge of tears. “I don’t want to dump you at this school and leave you two to cope by yourselves. Please, don’t think that. But something like this will attract negative attention, and this was the safest place I could think of.”

“I know.” Jayla nodded, her face etched with lines of sadness. “ _Saranghae, eomma._ ” I love you, mother. Sarah smiled bitterly.

Bethanie knew that it could be so much worse. Back home in Korea, there still existed a prejudice against mutants. That existed everywhere, of course, but the mere sight of a homo superior struck fear into the hearts of many there. Her mother was not one of those people, although her father very well might’ve been. She didn’t know. But it didn’t matter; he was long dead. She frowned at the thought of him. _Good riddance._

Suddenly, they pulled onto a new road, one devoid of houses, but heavily forested. They drove in silence for a few miles, until they came to a gate at the end of the road, one which was accompanied by a brown plate with gold lettering. Bethanie peered at the sign, trying to read it from her poor vantage point. Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters. It sent a thrill through her. In mere minutes, she’d get to meet the X-Men! Just like in the stories. They were the teachers there. And other children from around the globe just like her.

The tiny road emerged to reveal a rolling property dotted with towering trees. Students, presumably at recess, played on all sorts of courts: basketball, tennis, even baseball. Bethanie rolled the window down, marveled at the sight of the mutant children. The oldest one was a purple-skinned girl with elven ears and sparkling green eyes. At one point, a boy with tousled back hair tried to throw a ball into the basket. The girl grinned, and made a throwing gesture. There was a flash, and suddenly the ball had blinked out of sight. Bethanie watched in amazement as it dropped, seemingly from the sky, into her hands, and she dribbled in the other direction. 

“Hey, no powers!” the boy yelled, causing the other students to giggle. He pushed the air, and it sparkled with an electric blue aura. The purple girl yelped as the ball suddenly reverted back in the other direction, bouncing through the gap between her legs. 

“Look at that house,” Jayla breathed, and Bethanie’s eyes widened as she took in the sight of the giant mansion. She knew it would be vast, but holy crap, was it vast. And beautiful. She admired the masonry and thought of her childhood friend Jun-Ji, who’d wanted to become an architect. She would love this. 

They pulled up to the front of the house, in a circular drop-off like they had in hotels. Trembling, Bethanie exited the car and saw her parents do the same. Mere seconds later, a woman emerged through the front doors, as if on cue. Her age was hard to guess, but Bethanie assumed she was in her forties. Her hair, a shockingly pure shade of crimson, hung loose around her shoulders. She wore a simple red work dress.

“Hello,” the woman said warmly. “You must be Park Jae-Lin and Park Baek-Hee.” Bethanie opened her mouth to protest, but the woman pursed her lips, immediately correcting herself. “But you prefer to be called Jayla and Bethanie. Got it.”

Jayla gaped. “How do you…?”

Bethanie’s eyes widened with recognition. “Mrs. Grey,” she murmured breathlessly, feeling as if she’d fall over. She’d grown up hearing stories of this woman, and how she’d been the one who ultimately defeated En Sabah Nur.

“Jean,” she insisted, her lips curling into a smile. “The Professor informed me that both of you are only just beginning to discover your powers.” The sisters nodded, and she dipped her head with satisfaction. “That’s our specialty.”

Suddenly it occurred to Bethanie that this woman could read her most intimate thoughts, and she shifted uncomfortably, trying to force her mind to go blank.

"Oh, trust me," Jean said dismissively. "You'll get used to it."

Somehow, that only made her feel more uneasy. 

"Come in," the telepath continued, and the luggage they'd dumped onto the walkway suddenly levitated into the air. Sarah gasped and looked to Bethanie questioningly, but she only shook her head, nodding at Jean. They started to head towards the entrance, the luggage drifting through the air after them.

"I want to thank you," Sarah said, her English shaky and accented. "My daughters need help, and there's no better place to get it. They barely know what their powers are."

Jean froze, tilting her head. A moment later, a young woman with blonde hair appeared, her eyes pulsing with a faint golden hue. "Luna, can you please bring these up to dorm G-04?" the red-haired woman asked. "I want to run some stuff over with the new students."

Luna nodded, and grabbed the two largest suitcases, hauling them inside. Jean then turned her attention back to the sisters. "What can you do?" she asked Jayla. 

Jayla shifted, clearly unsure of how to answer. She opened and closed her mouth, at a loss for words. "I don't know how to describe it," she said shakily. "But I can shoot these weird bursts of energy from my hands. Like fire, but ... not."

Jean scribbled something onto the clipboard, her eyes darting up every now and then. "And what color is this energy?"

"It depends," Jayla answered. "Usually it comes out red or orange. Once I was able to make it white, and I nearly passed out from exhaustion afterwords." 

Jean nodded, her eyes swimming with thoughts. She was clearly thinking in an analytical matter. "And you?" she inquired in Bethanie's direction.

"I ... don't know," Bethanie admitted. "I can move things, like telekinesis, but it feels like something else. I'm not manipulating the objects directly."

"In that case, we'll have to investigate that," Jean smiled, and started to walk back towards the entrance. Even from here, Bethanie noticed just how similarly the X-Mansion smelled to a museum. She would've minded if not for the anticipation that made her heart race, pounding hard against her ribcage. Her hands shook as they moved to fix a strand of hair that had been displaced by the late-morning breeze. 

The doors opened, and once again her mother did a double take. Jean turned around at this. "You'll get used to it, Mrs. Park," she said in Korean. "They all do." 

Sarah halted, her eyebrows arching. "You speak Korean?"

Jean shrugged. "I can pick up languages from the minds of others, but I don't speak it. So."

Sarah frowned, nodding as if pretending to understand. "Ah." 

Jean telekinetically held the grand mahogany doors open, and Bethanie's eyelids fluttered as she stepped inside, getting used to her new surroundings. She gasped, transfixed by the gorgeous home. The room was adorned with fancy gold trimming and elegant decorations, like those mansions you saw on soap operas. A blue holographic radio---which was still new technology and had to cost at least a thousand dollars---played throwback tunes of the oughties, positioned on a neat-yet-busy desk. Bethanie glanced at Jayla, and saw that her sister looked just as awed as she felt.

"Say goodbye to your mother," Jean said softly, turning away from them.

Bethanie and Sarah stared at one another for a long moment, but Jayla was ultimately the one who went in for a hug. Bethanie followed suit, hugging her mother and sister tightly. She felt as if she could burst into tears.

"I love you," their mother whispered tearfully. "Remember to call every day."

"I will," Bethanie and Jayla replied in unison. Bethanie wiped at her eyes, sniffling, and pulled back. With that, Sarah turned around and exited the mansion. Bethanie stared after her for several long minutes.

"Lunch will be starting in approximately fifteen minutes," Jean told the girls. "Miss Maximoff has already brought your things into your dorm, G-04. You'll be sharing with Anela M'ahai, Anna Drake, and Khadija Abdel Nour. A hydrokenetic, cyrokenetic, and geokenetic respectively." She grinned, almost sardonically. The light from the overheld chandelier cast a warm golden glow across her face. "You two will fit right in."


End file.
